How do birth and fertility rates differ?

They are similar terms that mean slightly different things.

The birth rate is the number of live births per 1,000 people per year.

The total fertility rate, on the other hand, looks at the average number of children women will have over their lifetimes – how many children a 19-year-old will have, rather than how many she had this year.

Other possible explanations could include changing societal expectations, increased access to contraception, limited provision for parental leave from work, and increased expectations of romantic love.